Every distribution cycle, the organization had to turn a large volume of incoming data into accurate payments for the people it serves. For years, that work was done the hard way.
Legacy systems, spreadsheets and manual reports moved the data from one step to the next, and every step was checked and re-checked by hand. It was slow. It was costly. And it depended on a small number of people who knew how all the pieces fit together.
Leadership was clear about one thing: they did not want a new system for its own sake. They wanted stakeholders paid faster and more accurately, at lower cost, without ever putting data at risk.
The goal was never a new system. It was getting the right payment to the right person, faster, at lower cost, and proving it.
The challenge
Manual distribution reporting slowed every payment cycle and drove up administration costs. Incoming data relied on fragile, hand-built processes that were hard to scale and hard to secure, and there was no clear baseline to show what the work really cost.
Our approach
We treated it as a journey from strategy to delivery to operations, not a software installation. Each phase had a clear purpose and a measurable result.
- 1Strategy
Follow the value, not the system
We mapped the full path from data arriving to a payment leaving, and measured where time, cost and risk built up. That baseline set clear targets for administration cost, payment speed and data quality, and became the business case.
- 2Strategy
Design the future state
We designed an optimized Epicor ERP architecture around the work, deciding what to configure, what to automate and what to retire. Security was designed in from the start, not added at the end.
- 3Delivery
Automate what slows people down
Intelligent automation replaced manual distribution reporting and payment routing. Legacy technical operations were rebuilt as a modern, automated data ingestion pipeline. Work was phased around distribution cycles so payments were never put at risk.
- 4Delivery
Secure and prove it
We implemented the security measures needed to harden the platform and keep data secure from ingestion through to payment, and validated results with business owners against real distributions before each cutover.
- 5Operations
Run it, measure it, improve it
The new platform moved into steady operations with clear ownership, monitoring and performance measures. Results were tracked against the original baseline, so the value could be shown, not just claimed.
The outcome
Operational administration costs fell by 28%. Manual distribution reporting disappeared, stakeholders are paid faster and more accurately, and the team shifted its time from processing to work that generates revenue. The program was named global winner in the Technology Innovator category for simplifying the business through technology and proving the value of the investment.
The value delivered
What made it work
- Start with the outcome. The measure of success was faster, more accurate payments at lower cost, not go-live.
- Measure before you change. A clear baseline turned results into proof.
- Design security in from day one. Protecting data was a design requirement, not a final checklist.
- Deliver around the business. Phasing work around distribution cycles kept payments flowing throughout.
- Plan for operations before go-live. Ownership, monitoring and measures were ready on day one of steady state.
What it means for you
If your organization runs important work through manual reports, spreadsheets or ageing systems, the same approach applies: follow the value, set a baseline, automate with security built in, and measure the result. We can help you find where the biggest gains are.